The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-07-02
HOW SHE WAS DRESSED.
BY MARY J. Stafford, M. D.

In December that my little patient and
her mother came to my Office for third
consultation.
The little girl looked blue where there
should have been a mantling red. They
had been delayed by OBTAINING street
cars, and, ss the mother expressed it, they
were pierced to the bone by the search
ing, raw wind. Women nearly always
make the unwise choice when it is ques-
ton of sitting ten minutes in detained
car or walking half mile. A man rare
ly sits and shivers thus. The considera-
ton of warmth naturally came upper
most as undressed my little patient to
examine her clothing as had promis-
ed.
"Pm sure you will find her all right as
regards clothing" said her mother con-
fidently. "Still thought would come"
But I frequently find mothers idea Of
call right" to be my idea Of call wrong"
I looked at her shoes. They were
made of kid. The soles were thin. Her
brother shod thus would have felt as
though he had gone into the street in his
stocking feet. There was sleet on the
ground, but she were no overshoes. The
heels were an inch and half high, point
ed, sloping toward the middle of the foot,
and they were worn of and rounded at
the edges, and they must sometimes
have turned under the poor little wearer
unexpectedly.
"My heels do turn under me, mother"
said the girl as spoke OF this.
The neatly fitting stockings were cot
ton, extending over the knees, where
they were held in place by broad "elas-
TIC" drew one of them off. The poor
little foot was cold as ice, and nearly as
] colorless. The stocking was impressed
upon the skin about the ankle from the
pressure of the shoe. Above the knee
the elastic had redeemed the flesh and
indented it in ridges. I placed the cold
foot on piece of paper and drew an out
line of it to show the mother the contrast
in width to the sole OF the shoe.
1 bade her observe, too, how she must
poise on the toes of her bare foot to
bring its heel on level with the heel Of
the booted foot.
"Can you wonder she does not take
kindly to long walks?" I asked. "Walk-
ing or standing, she must balance her.
self on her toes and peg under her heel.
The body is thrown forward, out of bal
ance, and all the muscles from the hips
downward are put upon strain Il
assure you they often fairly culver
from fatigue. No wonder she is not a
gentle, graceful walker, and that she
never runs. She is obliged to hobble,
my dear madam. And do you see these
callouses, the beginning of corns and
bunions? Perhaps you think that the
ankles are really supported by this tight
leather that encases them up so high,
but it is not 80. The English Alpine
mountain climbers who endure best,
wear low shoe"
"Still hope you won't prescribe for
her those ugly Macombers that some OF
the New York women are wearing-such
ugly shapes!" said the mother.
"They are proper Loots to wear, never
theless," | said; "and had you studied
how most effectually to impede the circu-
lation Of the blood to her extremities,
you could not have done it more sue
cessfully. Elastic bands are injurious
no matter where worn; but the worst
place of all is just above the knee, where
there are such prominent blood vessels
and nerves. And kaveyou really consid-
cred these thin stockings?"
"She has always worn Them" said the
mother. "Of course 1 would not put
them on her suddenly of winters day.
But, as one may say, she is hardened to
it."
$50 are the Esquimaux and Lapland-
ers hardened to cookbook at the stunted
creaturesl And look at this thin, cold
little leg-it has no plump calf, no curves!
it has had no warmth to develop it."
The child, in whom there was probably
latent conception of beauty, looked
hurt and fearful; but how could spare
her?
snow try a full, deep BREATH See
something prevents her. She bresthes
from the upper part OF her chest. There
is no distention at the waist. no movement
at all of the abdominal muscles, as there
would be if the lungs filled to their nat
ural capacity"
Investigation revealed a corset, and
that brought forth the following dress
history from mother and daughter
Up to eleven years of age my little pa
tent had worn loose waists, her skirts
buttoned upon them.
"And how could you," 1 interrupted
shave taken them off at that critical age,
when her form was changing and round
ing out and needed room and freedom to
do it in; and substitute a laced, boned
and steeled jackct?"
The mother hesitated, but the little
girl answered; 81 had a weak stomach,
and mother thought it would do me good
to have the support of steels. She said 1
sat all over in bunch; and besides 1
must have some shape given me, or else
L would have waist as big as boy"
"Yes," said the mother, sand Mamie
wanted corsets. Her school-mates were
Il.